The currently available shoulder rest for violin or viola has two functions. One of the functions is to allow a more comfortable posture while plying the violin or the viola. People's necks are different in length. However, even for a person with a short neck, the length from the chin to the collarbone is much larger than an overall thickness of the violin or the viola plus a chin rest mounted thereto. When intending to hold the violin or the viola in the most comfortable place for playing, the player generally needs to lift his shoulder or turn or tilt his head leftward. These postures result in tense shoulder and neck, which tends to develop an occupational disease over time. By using the shoulder rest, the above conditions can be effectively relieved.
The most valuable component of the violin or the viola is the back thereof. The texture and the place of origin of the back all are key factors that determine the value and the timbre of the violin or the viola. Without using the shoulder rest, the player's shoulder is in direct contact with the back of the violin or the viola. Normally, the player holds the violin or the viola in place with his chin and shoulder. This posture also holds the back from vibrating. When using a shoulder rest, two feet of the shoulder rest are firmly attached to the edge of the back of the violin or the viola, such that there is a space between the shoulder rest and the back, allowing the back to fully vibrate and produce a resonance effect.
Please refer to FIG. 1. A conventional shoulder rest 11 has a curved surface for placing on a player's shoulder. The shoulder rest 11 has two feet 12, with which the shoulder rest 11 can be firmly attached to between two sides of the violin or the viola. Since the shoulder rest 11 is heavy with poor softness, and the player cannot freely adjust it to different angles relative to the violin or the viola, the sound quality produced by the violin or the viola during play is adversely affected. Since the feet 12 of the shoulder rest 11 are tightly attached to two sides of the violin or the viola, the resonance effect is adversely affected due to the great pressure applied to the violin or the viola by the feet 12 of the shoulder rest 11. In addition, the shoulder rest 11 is not easily correctly adjusted in its angle relative to the violin or the viola, and is directly in frictional contact with the violin or the viola to cause damage to the violin or the viola and the sound quality thereof.
Moreover, when playing a violin or a viola with the currently available shoulder rest mounted thereto, usually the player will press his neck against the tailpiece, support the neck of the violin or the viola with one hand, and hold the bow with another hand. This posture tends to cause sore neck, tilt head and sloped shoulder to affect the effective time and quality of practicing and playing the violin or the viola.
In brief, the prior art shoulder rest for the violin and the viola has the following disadvantages: (1) inconvenient for assembling to a violin or a viola; (2) not freely adjustable in angle for use; (3) reducing the effective time and quality of violin or viola practice; and (4) uncomfortable for use.
It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop an improved clamping device for holding shoulder rest to violin and viola to overcome the drawbacks and problems in the prior art.